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belongs the honor of the invention of the art of
handwriting。 Sir Isaac Newton observes：
〃There is the utmost uncertainty in the chronology
of ancient kingdoms； arising from the vanity
of each claiming the greatest antiquity； while those
pretensions were favoured by their having no exact
account of time。〃
Its antiquity has been exhaustively treated by many
writers； the best known are Massey； 1763； The Origin
and Progress of Letters；〃 Astle； 1803； 〃The Origin
and Progress of Writing；〃 Silvestre； 〃Universal
Palaeography；〃 Paris； 1839…41 ； and Humphreys； 1855；
〃The Origin and Progress of the Art of Writing。〃
They； with others； have sought to record the origin
and gradual development of the art of writing from
the Egyptian Hieroglyphics of 4000 B。 C。； the Chinese
Figurative； 3000 B。 C。 ； Indian Alphabetic； 2000 or
more B。 C。 ； the Babylonian or Cuneiform； 2000
years B。 C。； and the Phoenician in which they include
the Hebrew or Samaritan Alphabet； 2000 or more
B。 C。； down to the writings of the new or Western
world of the Christian era。
The data presented and the arguments set forth；
deserve profound respect； and though we find some
favoring the Egyptians； or the Phoenicians； the Chaldeans；
the Syrians； the Indians； the Persians or the
Arabians； it is best to accept the concensus of their
opinion； which seems to divide between the Phoenicians
and the Egyptians as being the inventors of the
foremost of all the arts。 〃For； in Phoenicia； had
lived Taaut or Thoth the first Hermes； its inventor；
and who later carried his art into Egypt where they
first wrote in pictures； some 2200 years B。 C。〃
The art appears to have been first exercised in
Greece and the West about 1500 or 1800 B。 C。； and
like all arts； it was doubtless slow and progressive。
The Greeks refer the invention of written letters to
Cadmus； merely because he introduced them from
Phoenicia； then only sixteen in number。 To these；
four more were added by Simonides。 Evander brought
letters into Latium from Greece； the Latin letters being
at first nearly the same form as the Greek。 The Romans
employed a device of scattering green sand upon tables；
for the teaching of arithmetic and writing； and in India
a 〃sand box〃 consisting of a surface of sand laid on a
board the finger being utilized to trace forms； was the
method followed by the natives to teach their children。
It is said that such methods still obtain even in this
age； in some rural districts of England。
After the invention of writing well…informed nations
and individuals kept scribes or chroniclers to record in
writing； historical and other events； mingled with claims
of antiquity based on popular legends。
These individuals were not always held in the highest
esteem。 Among the Hebrews it was considered an
honorable vocation； while the Greeks for a long time
treated its practitioners as outcasts。 It was an accomplishment
possessed by the few even down to the fifteenth
century of the Christian era。 The rulers of
the different countries were deficient in the art and
depended on others to write their documents and letters
to which they appended their monogram or the
sign of the Cross against their names as an attestation。
So late as A。 D。 1516 an order was made in London to
examine all persons who could write in order to discover
the authorship of a seditious document。
The art of writing is not mentioned in the Bible
prior to the time of Moses； although as before stated；
in Egypt and the countries adjacent thereto it was not
only known but practiced。
Its first mention recorded in Scripture will be found
in Exodus xvii。 v。 14； 〃And the Lord said unto
Moses； Write this； for a memorial； in a book； and
rehearse it in the ear of Joshua； for I will utterly put
out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven。〃
This command was given immediately after the defeat
of the Amalekites near Horeb； and before the arrival
of the Israelites at Mount Sinai。
It is observable； that there is not the least hint to
induce us to believe that writing was then newly invented；
on the contrary； we may conclude； that Moses
understood what was meant by writing in a book；
otherwise God would have instructed him； as he had
done Noah in building the Ark； for he would not have
been commanded to write in a book； if he had been
ignorant of the art of writing； but Moses expressed
no difficulty of comprehension when he received this
command。 We also find that Moses wrote all the
works and all the judgments of the Lord； contained
in the twenty…first and the two succeeding chapters of
the book of Exodus； before the two written tables of
stone were even so much as promised。 The delivery
of the tables is not mentioned till the eighteenth verse
of the thirty…first chapter； after God had made an
end of communing with him upon the mount； though
the ten commandments were promulgated immediately
after his third descent。
Moses makes frequent mention of ancient books of
the Hebrews； but describes none； except the two tables
on which God wrote the ten commandments。 These
he tells us； were of polished stone； engraven on both
sides and as Calmet remarks： 〃it is probable that
Moses would not have observed to us these two particulars
so often as he does； were it not to distinguish
them from other books； which were made of tables；
not of stone； but of wood and curiously engraven； but
on one side only。〃
It cannot be said that Moses uses any language
which can be construed to mean the employment of
rolls of papyrus； or barks of trees； much less of parchment。
We have therefore reason to believe that by
the term book； he always means table…books； made of
small thin boards or plates。
The edicts； as well as the letters of kings； were written
upon tablets and sent to the various provinces；
sealed with their signets。 Scripture plainly alludes
to the custom of sealing up letters； edicts and the tablets
on which the prophets wrote their visions。
The practice of writing upon rolls made of the barks
of trees is very ancient。 It is alluded to in the Book
of Job： 〃Oh！ that mine adversary had written a book；
surely I would take it upon my shoulders； and bind
it as a crown to me。〃 （Old version。） The new one
runs： 〃And that I had the indictment which mine
adversary hath written！〃 The rolls； or volumes；
generally speaking； were written upon one side only。
This is intimated by Ezekiel who observes that he
saw one of in extraordinary form written on both
sides： 〃And when I looked； behold； an Hand was sent
unto me； and lo！ a roll of a book was therein； and he
spread it before me； and it was written within and
without。〃
To have been able to write on dry tablets of wood
or barks of trees with the reed or brush； the then only
ink…writing instruments in vogue would have necessitated
the employment of lampblack suspended in a
vehicle of thick gum； or i